Vapor electric device



Jan. 7, 1936. D. E. HENRY VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1953 INVENTOR .0. A. /7% 9 l/E/V; Y' ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1936 rATENnoFFicE VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE Donald E. Henry, Bloomfield, N. .L, assignor to Westinghouse Lamp Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 30, 1933, Serial No. 687,424

4 Claims.

vices and more particularly to devices of this character that exhibit a luminous discharge when in operation. In its more specific aspect the invention is directed to an electric discharge device containing therein an atmosphere of a metal. Although my invention contemplates the employment of sodium-caesium, rubidium, cadmium, zinc or other metal or the like, as at least one component of the gaseous medium in my improved device, I shall hereinafter describe my invention by particular reference to a sodium vapor discharge device.

Prior to my invention it has been proposed to construct a sodium vapor lamp consisting of a plurality of glass containers, with one of said containers having. an electron emitting element and sodium therein. The other container was secured to the vapor containing container by fusedly ring sealing one to the other. This operation is diillcult to properly perform, especially in those cases where a hermetic air tight seal is desired, and more particularly where the glass is a diflicultly workable glass, such as is used in sodium vapor lamps.

As distinguished from the prior art devices I have provided a discharge device including two containers, one within the other, which device maybe readily assembled and has improved electrical as well as improved mechanical characteristics.

Briefly, my invention comprises a metal vapor lamp comprising a sealed envelope having an electron emitting means and a metal vapor therein. Another container, which may be evacuated, completely surrounds said envelope which is supported by rigid conductors sealed in said container and said envelope.

An object of my invention is to provide a discharge device of improved mechanical and electrical characteristics.

Another object of my invention is to provide a discharge device that is relatively simple to assemble and is of rugged mechanical construction.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a sodium vapor lamp of simple and novel design, which may be readily manufactured and transported without breakage.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become readily apparent from the following description and appended drawing wherein,

Figure 1 represents a view in elevation with parts broken away and others in section of an alkali metal discharge device embodying my invention.

(Cl. 176-122) This invention relates to electric discharge de- Figure 2 represents a fragmentary view in elevation of the supporting means shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a cross sectional view taken on line III-I1I of Figure 1.

According to my invention, I provide a vitreous envelope 9 consisting of a sodium vapor resistant glass, such as a special bore-silicate glass. The envelope has the major portion In thereof substantially in the form of a sphere having a tubular section or neck H. Integral with said neck and extending upwardly therein is a reentrant tube having its upper end in the form of a pinch or press I 2. Sealed in said press are a plurality of spaced rigid leading-in and supporting conductors l3 and I4 extending exteriorly and interiorly of said envelope.

Rigid conductors l5 and it are welded to the conductors I3 and H. The conductors l5 and I6 extend through insulating plugs l1 located at each end of hollow nickel or other suitable metal cylinders l8 coated with electron emitting material, such as those commonly employed in ultra violet lamps and radio tubes, and consisting of oxides or carbonates of strontium, barium and calcium.

These coated cylinders serve as indirectly heated electrodes and have located therein helical heater filaments, not shown, and whose lower ends are connected respectively to the conductors l5 and IS. The upper ends of these filaments are electrically connected also to conductors l9 and 20 extending through the upper insulating plugs l1. A conductor 2| is electrically connected to the outwardly extending portions of the conductors I 9 and 20 so that the heater filaments are in electrical series relationship. Conducting support rods of L shape are welded to the indirectly heated electrode cylinders I8 and to the conductors l5 and I6.

Also located within said envelope is a quantity of an alkali metal such as sodium or the like, and a quantity of rare gas such as neon, argon or helium, or mixtures, at a pressure of about 0.2 mm. of mercury. The gas pressure depends upon the gas used. When argon is employed, I prefer that its pressure shall be about 0.2 mm. of mercury.

In order that the discharge between the electrodes may take place to provide a luminescence for practical lighting purposes, it is necessary that the temperature of the sodium within the envelope be betweenabout 200 and 300 degrees centigrade.

For efilcient operation, there is provided an enrespectively I closing envelope 22 which completely surrounds the envelope 9 and is composed of a glass that is highly absorbent to infra red rays. The space between the two envelopes is preferably evacuated so that the heat losses from the envelope 9 shall be minimized.

So that the discharge device may be rugged and adapted to be transported without breakage and so that it may be readily assembled, the body proper of the envelope 22 is preferably of a generally cylindrical form. It has a re-entrant stem 23 at one end. The stem 23 terminates in a pinch or press 24 of cruciform configuration. Conductors 26, 21, 29 and 29 are sealed in said press, with the conductors being located respectively near the outer ends of the cross arms. Only the conductors 26 and 33 extend both interiorly and exteriorly of said envelope 22.

A collar 39 composed of a good heat insulating material, such as asbestos or the like, surrounds the neck ll of the envelope I9. Tightly wrapped around said collar 39 is a substantially rigid spirally wound spring coil 3| having one end welded to the upper end of conductor 26 and its other end welded to the diametrically opposed conductor 29 for maintaining the envelope 9 in position. The envelope 9 and its associated parts are located in the approximate center of the envelope 22 as shown. In order that bending or excessive vibration of theenvelope 9 may be minimized,'and so that the complete device may be transported without danger of envelope 9 striking against the envelope 22, I provide short rigid conducting rods 32 welded respectively to the rods 21 and 29 and welded to one or more of the coils of the helical element 31.

The rigid leading-in and supporting conductor [3 is welded to the element 3| near one end thereof. Also sealed in said press and located intermediate the conductors 26 and 29 is a rigid conductor 33 extending exteriorly and interiorly of said envelope 22. The conductor 33 is welded at its upper end to that portion of the conductor H extending exteriorly of the envelope 9. Thus the leading-in conductors I3 and I4 connected respectively to the leads 26 and 33 serve to support the envelope 9 and its associated parts in proper position. The remaining leads sealed in the press 24 and the rigid spring member 3| also serve to support the envelope 9 and prevents the same from striking the envelope 22.

Although my invention has been described with particularity, it is not to be limited by the exact construction described but only by the prior art.

What is claimed:

1. An electric discharge device comprising an envelope, a plurality of electrodes therein, said envelope having a press, a plurality of conductors sealed in said press and electrically connected to said electrodes, an envelope surrounding said first mentioned envelope and spaced therefrom, said second mentioned envelope having a cruelform shaped press, a plurality of conductors sealed in said press and electrically connected to said first mentioned conductors for supplying current to said electrodes and means engaging a portion of said first mentioned envelope and having a portion thereof sealed in said cruciform shaped press for maintaining said first mentioned envelope spaced from said second mentioned envelope.

2. An electric discharge device comprising an envelope, a plurality of electrodes therein, said envelope having a press, a plurality of conductors sealed in said press, an envelope surrounding and spaced from said first mentioned envelope, said second mentioned envelope having a press, three supports sealed in said press and supporting said first mentioned envelope, said conductors being so disposed that no more than two of them are in the same vertical plane.

3. An electric discharge device comprising an enclosing envelope, a plurality of electrodes therein, said envelope having a press, a plurality of conductors sealed in said press and extending exteriorly and interiorly thereof, an envelope surrounding and spaced from said first mentioned envelope, said second mentioned envelope having a cruciform press, a plurality of supporting means sealed in said press and circumferentially spaced 35 from each other, said supports maintaining said first mentioned envelope in spaced relation to said second mentioned envelope and supplying current to said electrodes.

4. An electric discharge device comprising an envelope, said envelope having a press, a plurality of conductors sealed in said press and extending exteriorly and interiorly of said press, filamentary heater elements supported by said conductors and being in electrical series relationship, indirectly heated electrodes surrounding said heater elements and also being supported by said conductors, an envelope surrounding said first mentioned envelope, spaced therefrom and having a reentrant stem terminating in a cruciform press, a support located at each half of each cross arm, some of said supports being electrically connected to said conductors.

DONALD E. HENRY. u 

